CDC Clear Communication Index Score Sheet

1 CDC Clear Communication Index Score SheetName of material _____Name of person scoring _____Date __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __Before you begin, identify your primary audience, their health literacy skills, your primary Communication objective, and main message. You must know these 4 pieces of information to Score the material accurately. If you don t have this information, wait until you do to Score the material. Note about translated materials: If the audiences for the English and non-English versions are different, you should create and Score the materials separately to account for audience differences. 1. Who is your primary audience? _____Note: See Appendix C of the User Guide for a list of common CDC What do you know about the health literacy skills of your audience?

2 Consider not only reading and numeracy skills but also motivation, attention, and distractors that may affect how your audience comprehends and uses your materials. If you don t have this information, assume average or limited skills. Examples include knowing what words and numbers your audience uses to describe a health issue, their familiarity with graphs, and the amount of time they spend reading health materials. _____3. What is your primary Communication objective?A Communication objective is what you want your audience to think, feel, or do after they receive the or example: Imessage or material. Fncrease the proportion of women between 18-25 years who intend to increase consumption of folic What is the main message of the material?

3 _____If you are reviewing an existing material with multiple messages, list all possible messages. _____Office of the Associate Director for Communication 1 CDC Clear Communication Index Score SheetUsing the Score SheetThe Index has a total of 20 items in 4 parts. These 20 items are presented as questions. Questions 1-11 in Part A are applicable to all materials Questions 12-20 in Parts B, C, and D may not apply to all materials. Choose one answer for each item you Score . Only Score a point when all instances of an item in the material meet the detailed descriptions and examples of each item can be found in the User A: Core The items in this section (1-11) apply to all Questions(Check one per question)Main Message and Call to Action1.

4 Does the material contain one main message?A message is the information you are trying to communicate to another person or group of people. If the material contains several messages, and there is no obvious Yes = 1main message, answer no. (User Guide page 5)No = 0 NOTE: If you answered No to Question 1, Score 0 for Questions 2-4 and continue to Question 5. 2. Is the main message at the top, beginning, or front of the material?Yes = 1If the material is a single print page, answer yes if the main message is in the top fourth. For a Web material, answer yes if the main message is visible without No = 0scrolling. (User Guide page 6)3. Is the main message emphasized with visual cues?

5 Yes = 1If the main message is emphasized with font, color, shapes, lines, arrows or headings, such as What you need to know, answer yes. (User Guide page 7)No = 04. Does the material contain at least one visual that conveys or supports the main message?Yes = 1 For example, count photographs, line drawings, graphs and infographics as visuals. If the visual doesn t have a caption or labels, answer no. If the visual has No = 0human figures who aren t performing the recommended behaviors, answer no. (User Guide page 8)5. Does the material include one or more calls to action for the primary audience?Yes = 1If the material includes a specific behavioral recommendation, a prompt to get more information, a request to share information with someone else, or a broad No = 0call for program or policy change, answer yes.

6 If the call to action is for someone other than the primary audience, answer no. (User Guide page 10)2 Office of the Associate Director for Communication CDC Clear Communication Index Score SheetLanguage 6. Do both the main message and the call to action use the active voice?Yes = 1If only the main message or only the call to action uses the active voice, answer no. If you answered no to #1 or #5, answer no. (User Guide page 11)No = 07. Does the material always use language the primary audience would use? See top of Score Sheet for primary = 1If all specialized or unfamiliar terms are explained or described (not just defined) the first time they are used, answer yes.

7 Acronyms and abbreviations must be No = 0spelled out and explained if unfamiliar to the audience. (User Guide page 12)Information Design8. Does the material use bulleted or numbered lists? Yes = 1If the material contains a list with more than 7 items, and the list is not broken up into sub-lists, answer no. If the list is for additional information or references No = 0only or at the end of the material, answer no. (User Guide page 14)9. Is the material organized in chunks with headings?Yes = 1 This item applies to prose text and lists. If the chunks contain more than one idea each, answer no. If the headings don t match the information chunks, answer no.

8 No = 0(User Guide page 15)10. Is the most important information the primary audience needs summarized in the first paragraph or section? Yes = 1 The most important information must include the main message. (User Guide No = 0page 17)State of the Science 11. Does the material explain what authoritative sources, such as subject matter experts and agency spokespersons, know and don t know about Yes = 1the topic? If the material addresses both, answer yes. If the material addresses only one (what No = 0is known or not known), answer no. (User Guide page 18)Part A Score Total _____ / 11 CommentsOffice of the Associate Director for Communication 3 CDC Clear Communication Index Score SheetPart B: Behavioral Recommendations Answer this question to determine if items 12-14 apply to the the material include one or more behavioral recommendations for the primary audience?

9 If yes Score items 12-14. If no skip to Part C. Score Questions(Check one per question)12. Does the material include one or more behavioral recommendations for Yes = 1the primary audience?If no, STOP here and don t Score Part B. (User Guide page 19)No = 013. Does the material explain why the behavioral recommendation(s) is important?Yes = 1If you offer only numbers to explain the importance of the behavioral recommendation with no other relevant information for the audience, answer no. No = 0(User Guide page 20)14. Does the behavioral recommendation(s) include specific directions about how to perform the behavior? This may include step-by-step directions or a simple description (for example: Yes = 1 Look for cereal with 100% daily value of folic acid).

10 If the material includes information about when or how to contact a medical provider or health official, No = 0answer yes. If the material mentions when or how often to perform a behavior, answer yes. (User Guide page 21)Part B Score Total _____ / 3 Comments4 Office of the Associate Director for Communication CDC Clear Communication Index Score SheetPart C: NumbersAnswer this question to determine if items 15-17 apply to the the material include one or more numbers that convey or support the main message? If yes Score items 15-17. If no skip to Part Questions(Check one per question)15. Does the material always present numbers the primary audience uses?